ANTHONY VALENTINE'S SHOCKING CRIME IN HAYWARDS HEATH AND BOGNOR: SEX OFFENDER'S LIFE SENTENCE REDUCED TO SIX YEARS

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Haywards Heath and Bognor, Anthony Valentine, a 46-year-old man with a long and violent history of sexual offenses, was convicted of heinous crimes involving a young boy. The incident unfolded on the evening of July 11 last year, when Valentine lured a ten-year-old boy away from the Monarch amusement arcade located in Waterloo Square, Bognor. Valentine had approached the child under the guise of offering to buy him a birthday present, a tactic often used by predators to gain the trust of their victims.

After convincing the boy, Valentine took him by train to Barnham, where he continued his manipulative tactics by purchasing sweets and a football for the child. The predator then led the young boy into the countryside, walking for hours across muddy fields and through wooded areas. Their journey culminated in a secluded copse near a stream close to Lidsey, where Valentine subjected the boy to a horrific sexual assault. The young victim later told police that Valentine had threatened to kill him, claiming he possessed a knife to intimidate him into submission.

Following the assault, the pair returned to Barnham, where a taxi driver, who was aware of the extensive search for the missing child, alerted the police. It was not until 3 a.m. that the child was safely recovered and placed in police custody. The case drew significant attention, and Valentine was swiftly apprehended and brought before Lewes Crown Court.

During the court proceedings, Valentine was convicted of multiple serious charges, including sexual assault and kidnapping. Judge Anthony Scott-Gall described him as